Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaladdin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaladdin’, characterized by its large inflorescences with elongated bright red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles; uniform and mounded plant habit; early flowering; and good post-production longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckaladdin’.

The new Poinsettia a naturally-occuring whole plant mutation of theEuphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 7,825. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the cultivar490 on or about Jan. 14, 2000, in a controlled environment in Leola, Pa.The selection of this plant was based on its unique flower bract shape.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken atEncinitas, Calif., since 2000, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Eckaladdin’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Eckaladdin’,as new and distinct cultivar:

1. Large inflorescences with elongated bright red-colored flower bracts.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles.

3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.

4. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 30for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8 weeks.

5. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to plants of the parent,the cultivar 490. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas,Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants ofthe cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were larger than plants of the cultivar490.

2. Lobing of leaves of the new Poinsettia was more pronounced thanlobing of leaves of the cultivar 490.

3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Poinsettia were larger and hadmore flower bracts than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar 490.

4. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were longer and morenarrow than flower bracts of plants of the cultivar 490.

5. Flower bract color of plants of the new Poinsettia was slightlylighter than flower bract color of plants of the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Eckaladdin’ grown in a 16.5-cm container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a topperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Eckaladdin’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical leaves and flower bracts of ‘Eckaladdin’ (left) and ‘490’(right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during thewinter under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhousewith day temperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C., andlight levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Single plants were grown in16.5-cm pots and pinched once. Plants were flowered under natural seasonshort day/long night conditions. Plants were about 17 weeks fromunrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanicaldescription were taken.

In the following description, color references are made of The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarEckaladdin.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 days at 20 to 22° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded and mounding.

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit. Moderate vigor.

Plant height.—About 28 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 41.5 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity: About seven lateral branchesdevelop after pinching. Length: About 23 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Color: 146A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About seven. Length: About 11.5 cm. Width: About 9cm. Shape: Mostly elliptic with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Acute. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.Texture: Upper surface: Glabrous. Lower surface: Slightly pubescent.Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, uppersurface: Darker than 147A. Young and fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147C. Petiole:Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Color: 59A to 59B.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions.Response time, about 8.5 weeks; natural season flower maturity date isNovember 30 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about three to four weeks under interiorconditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral branch, aboutseven.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 33 cm. Height (depth): About 4 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: About 25.Length, largest bracts: About 14.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 7.5cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate.Base: Acute. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Mostly flat. Orientation:Horizontal to drooping. Color: Developing or transitional bracts, uppersurface: Irregular and random areas of 46A and darker than 147A, thenbecoming mostly 46A. Developing or transitional bracts, lower surface:Irregular and random areas of 47A and 147B, then becoming mostly 47A.Fully developed bracts, upper surface: 46B; color fading to 46C withsubsequent development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 46C.Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as ground color. Bract petiole:Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color: 46A.

Cyathia.—Quantity: About 15 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster:About 3 by 3.8 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: Immature: 144A. Mature: 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 4 mm.Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens:Stamen number: About 15 to 20 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval. Antherlength: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 45C. Amount of pollen: Moderate.Pollen color: 12A. Pistils: None observed. Nectary number: One percyathia. Nectary color: 25A.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Eckaladdin’, as illustrated and described.